Digital devices for continued learning

Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, thousands of teachers and students were left without the basic tools to stay connected.

To bridge this gap, Ukraine partnered with GPE, UNESCO and Google to deliver 50,000 digital devices to teachers and 8,534 devices to children across the country.

Priority was given to educators without personal laptops and to children in vulnerable situations, including displaced families, low-income households and military families.

A UNESCO assessment of the initiative, gathering insights from over 1,500 teachers, students and parents in 24 regions, found that Chromebooks significantly improved access to education, particularly for vulnerable learners.

Teachers reported higher engagement and motivation among students, while families emphasized the importance of having reliable tools for distance learning.

At the same time, the study identified the need for more technical support to maximize impact.

Building digital skills through training

Technology alone is not enough — teachers also need the right skills to use it effectively. UNESCO partnered with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and Google.org to launch the Digital Pedagogy course, a hands-on training developed with Ukrainian education experts in response to the war.

The modules offer practical tips, interactive activities, quizzes and resources to help educators improve digital teaching and learning for their students.

So far, 77,400 teachers have enrolled in the training, and over 32,400 have received certificates: 1 in 10 teachers nationwide has completed the training.

Strengthening the education system-wide through research and reform

A comprehensive GPE-funded study of 25 regional teacher training institutions conducted by UNESCO identified strengths and gaps in Ukraine’s teacher professional development system.

The findings are already shaping reforms: three working groups have revised or developed new regulations on teacher professional development, with final drafts awaiting approval by the Ministry of Education and Science.

UNESCO is also leading analytical research on the “New Ukrainian Teacher” to improve evidence-based decision policy.

It examines teacher career development in Ukraine, including how teachers enter the profession, alignment of pre-service training with the New Ukrainian School reform, career paths and school leadership policy.

Preliminary insights from the study have already informed the ministry’s 2025–2030 Concept for Continuous Professional Growth.

Supporting teacher professional development at scale

With funding from GPE and implementation support from UNESCO, Ukraine is strengthening its capacity to train educators.

Over 5,300 trainers and teacher trainers have completed hybrid professional development programs, including 273 participants who joined intensive 3-day, in-person sessions.

These teacher trainers now belong to 10 subject-related Communities of Practice that connect more than 6,250 educators across the country, promoting long-term peer learning and exchange of experience.

Bringing competency-based learning into classrooms

To help teachers put the New Ukrainian School reform methods into practice, GPE and UNESCO are supporting the creation of a repository of over 100 competency-based tasks for grades 7 and 8.

Trainers and teacher trainers, working with national experts through hands-on webinars, workshops and guided mentorship, are learning how to develop competency-based tasks for their students.

This initiative, requested by the Ministry of Education and Science, aims to strengthen a key aspect of the New Ukrainian School reform: how students acquire competencies and how to assess these competencies.

The initiative focuses not only on giving educators practical tools to create and use resources but also on building their capacity to assess what students can do, not just what they can memorize.

Developing integrated courses

GPE and UNESCO have also supported the development of integrated courses in Technology, Art and Science for grade 5. These courses guide teachers in planning and teaching lessons that connect disciplines, making learning more engaging and relevant for students.